John Terry wants Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri to put more faith in Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek for the rest of the campaign.
Sarri’s arrival at the club last summer presented Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek with a chance to stake their claim in the Blues senior squad this season yet so far, the opposite could not have been more true. Both have been rarely utilised by the ex-Napoli manager who have reservations about the duo’s capabilities of fitting into his system, with the bulk of their appearances coming in at cup competitions.
Hudson-Odoi is yet to start a league match under Sarri while he has also seen a transfer request rejected by the club following heavy interest from Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, Loftus-Cheek has failed to establish himself as a stalwart in the Chelsea XI due to a combination of injuries and indifferent form.
However, both were sent on as substitutes by Sarri anew in Sunday’s League Cup loss against Manchester City and having seen the match at Wembley himself, Terry thinks the Stamford Bridge outfit have a great future ahead because of the two as well as the other Blues stars.
“Chelsea can move forward,” said the former Chelsea skipper. “They’re a great side and individually they have brilliance in the team. That’s throughout the whole side. We can talk about the two centre-halves being incredible today [against Manchester City]. You look at the boys in front of them; Kante, Barkley, the three players up front. It’s a great team to build around. Go and build upon it.”
The west Londoners are virtually out of the title race as they currently lie in sixth place but while it is imperative for the club to play Champions League football next season, Terry reckons now would be an opportune moment for Sarri to allow Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek to gain significant minutes on the pitch.
“They’ve found it difficult this year because Man City have been excellent, Liverpool have been superb as well. But we’ve got people like Hudson-Odoi and it’s important to keep him. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, is he ready? Let’s find out. If we’re not going to win the league then let’s give him a chance in the league,” added Terry. “Let’s blood the younger players and see what they’ve got.”
